1. Field of the Invention: This invention is generally related to apparatus for inserting various displays or indicia into the barrel of pens or similar hollow structures so as to be displayed therethrough and specifically to a mandrel for supporting and winding two separate sheets of material so as to enable such material to be inserted and selectively spaced relative to one another within the barrel of such a hollow article.
2. History of the Prior Art: Due to the fact that pens and mechanical pencils are items which are necessities for personal, political or business related activities, advertisers have long taken advantage of the widespread and daily use to disseminate or advertise various information. From people and businesses to calendars and quotes, the use of advertising indicia in connection with writing implements is an accepted and widespread practice.
The specific type of indicia which has been used by prior art manufacturers has taken many forms. One basic technique is printing or stamping indicia onto the exterior portion of the writing implement. Due to the amount of use many writing implements receive, however, often the printed matter is worn from the implement after a very short period of time. Further, the use or scope of such printed advertising is limited to a visual or pictorial representative of words or pictures.
In addition to printing or stamping, decals or labels have been placed on the exterior of writing implements. Here, again, the amount of wear encountered is detrimental and the type of advertising is limited.
In order to protect the advertising indicia from damage or wear, many manufacturers have developed various types of inserts which are placed within the housing of the writing implement itself and may be either selectively viewable through specifically designed apertures or constantly viewable through transparent or translucent portions of the implement housing.
In this regard, one technique of interior display has been to pre-form a cylindrical tube of cardboard or paper on which various indicia may be printed or separately adhered. Thereafter, the self-sustaining tubular structure is inserted into the interior of the implement, as for example, into the transparent barrel of a pen.
Processes such as pre-forming a cylindrical insert have presented problems in regard to printing, coloring or otherwise fixing indicia to the insert. Therefore, in applicant's co-pending application, Ser. No. 821,055, filed Aug. 1, 1977, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,431, a process and apparatus for generally simultaneously winding and inserting planar preprinted indicia carrying sheets into tubular items such as the barrel of a pen are described. Such process permits printing displays upon planar material and thereafter forming the planar material into the desired cylindrical shape as the material is inserted into the barrel of a pen or similar implement.
The placement of advertising indicia into hollow housings need not be limited to the use of single sheets of advertising material. Applicant has found that some advertisers would prefer to provide separate indicia or samples in addition to the generally used singular message carrying medium. For example, manufacturers of various clothing products may desire to encase a patch or sample of their material or fiber in the display casing together with a separate sheet carrying an advertising slogan.
Further, although there are a number of varieties of advertising type pens on the market which have several separate advertising or indicia carrying units mounted interiorly of the pen, many such structures require the pen housing to be specially adapted with various separate windows or apertures as well as various gearing arrangements to selectively adjust the indicia relative to the implement housing. Further, multiple pre-formed cylindrical displays have met with the same difficulties in printing and handling as are encountered in the aforementioned single pre-formed advertising cylinders.